Joe Jacobs dreamed of managing a specialty running shop in Morris County even when he was competing at Butler High School. Jacobs has come full circle at Sneaker Factory in Florham Park, where he sees part of his job as helping customers “understand why the shoe is right.”

But not all customers visiting Sneaker Factory or Runner’s Haven in Randolph are competitive athletes. Far from it, in fact.

Right now, the more than 900 running specialty stores nationwide are crowded with high school and youth track and field athletes, as well as adults inspired to get outdoors during warmer weather. Jacobs and Runner’s Haven co-owner Maryellen Higgins keep every individual’s goals in mind.

Sneaker Factory, Runner’s Haven and other similar small shops are “sit and fit” shoe stores, according to Michael Topeka, a certified pedorthist from Roxbury. The buying process starts with a conversation, and usually a physical assessment.

Both Sneaker Factory and Runner’s Haven have treadmills in house, though Jacobs and Higgins can usually evaluate a customer’s gait by taking a walk up the aisle past a wall of brightly colored sneakers. Jacobs likes to record a brief run and break it down frame by frame.

“One of the most daunting things is walking into a specialty store and saying, ‘I’m not a runner,’ ” said Jacobs, who won the NJSIAA Group I 3,200 meters and finished third in the 1,600 in 2001, his senior season at Butler. “It’s all relative. Pace or speed is relative to you. Your fast may not be as fast as my fast. My fast is not as fast as Usain Bolt’s fast.”

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Runner’s Haven organizes its shoes, not by brand, but based on foot type. Most are stability designs, for people who pronate, rolling their feet inward as they walk. Those with high arches or supronators — whose feet naturally roll outward — will do best in neutral shoes.

On the other end of the spectrum are motion-control shoes for those with severely flat feet or severe pronation.

“It’s not rocket science. It’s getting the right fit,” said Higgins, who has coached the recreational track and field program in Randolph for almost 20 years. “That’s why people go to a specialty store. We’re not more expensive than the Internet, and you get (personal) service.”

Topeka owned Foot Solutions in Chester for 10 years, before closing it and going into semi-retirement in October 2014.

He now takes the evaluation process “out of the store and into the home,” visiting senior-living facilities and customers who might not be able to reach the Foot Solutions locations in West Caldwell, and Easton and Allentown, Pa.

He carries samples in his silver Ford van, working with physical therapists and other medical professionals and fitting orthopedics.

“Our goal is to keep people active as they age,” Topeka said. “Whatever that takes, foot-wise, we’ll do that. ... I make less sales, but I help the whole person.”

All the professionals agreed the number one problem is that people, regardless of their age or ability, don’t wear the right size sneakers.

Running shoes should be a half to a full size larger than dress shoes. The most popular size for women is between 71/2 and 81/2, and 91/2 to 101/2 for men. However, Topeka pointed out that a lot of things happen to one’s feet with age, because of the cumulative effects of gravity.

Price point is another concern, since there is usually a difference in cushioning and overall quality between a single manufacturer’s models. But even expensive sneakers don’t last forever, and Higgins noted, “you will feel you need new shoes before you see you need new shoes.” She recommended switching shoes every 400 to 500 miles — twice a year on average — and encouraged alternating between pairs.

“The art of running itself is a monotonous thing,” Jacobs said. “The shoe is there to minimize the force on the body. If we can minimize the pain, you can get through it and experience that runners’ high.”